Bibs have long been used to protect a baby's clothing while the baby eats or plays. Bibs prevent food, drink, and bodily fluids like saliva, from soiling the clothing. Many times parents and caregivers leave a bib on a child for numerous hours in order to protect clothing.
Teething rings or teethers are devices for babies to use to soothe gums and provide a teething baby to bite on. The biting activity relieves the pain of teething and also helps the baby's new teeth to break through the gum line. Typically, a teething device is unattached and can be thrown or dropped easily. As known, infants are prone to dropping toys, teething rings, pacifiers, and other devices, exposing them to unsanitary and dirty conditions. These devices have to be constantly picked up and then should be cleaned before the child can resume playing with or teething the devices. In addition, a common problem is that a baby may drop the toy that they are playing with on the floor, and this often becomes a repetitive action. If a floor is dirty, it may not be possible to give the toy or teething device back to the baby. Most infants also lack the manual dexterity and the attention to grasp a toy or teething device for an extended period. Adults can use handles and hold toys and teething devices for the baby, however, this action may be tedious and not always convenient for the adult.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,650 to Milloy describes a pacifier bib formed from a flat panel of fabric having a wishbone shape which includes a flap extending downwardly adapted to have its distal end folded over into a closed loop for attaching the handle of a pacifier to the bib. The pacifier can be removed, however there is no integrated means provided for attaching the pacifier to an infant at an alternative location for easy access.
United Kingdom patent application GB2506972 to Livingstone et al. describes a bib having a first pliable material for attachment around the neck of a child and a chewable portion attached to the pliable material for teething. The teething portion is made from a resilient material and securely attached to the bib portion.
This background information is provided for the purpose of making known information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.